Is Utah more similar to Colorado or Arizona

[Samof94]

Is Utah more similar to Colorado or to Arizona?

[wnwnwn]

Arizona has more mormons

[Vosem]

Notably, CO, WY, and UT are the three US states with a mean elevation of over 6,000 ft, so I guess I would have to say that UT is more similar to CO. (UT is, on average, 700 ft lower than CO, but a full 2,000 ft higher than AZ).

[It’s so Joever]

Colorado.
Voting patterns be screwed, Utah is culturally more akin to Colorado simply because SLC metro is closer to Denver than Phoenix by a long shot.

Utah is just a religious version of Colorado.

[TDAS04]

Notably, CO, WY, and UT are the three US states with a mean elevation of over 6,000 ft, so I guess I would have to say that UT is more similar to CO. (UT is, on average, 700 ft lower than CO, but a full 2,000 ft higher than AZ).

All four of those states voted closely together in 1960, oddly enough. Nixon beat JFK by 10 points in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming; and in Arizona by 11.

[Bernie Derangement Syndrome Haver]

Colorado.
Voting patterns be screwed, Utah is culturally more akin to Colorado simply because SLC metro is closer to Denver than Phoenix by a long shot.

Utah is just a religious version of Colorado.

A lot of Utah looks more like Arizona though, and there are more Mormons in Arizona, and neither Utah nor Arizona have plains covering almost half the state.

[It’s so Joever]

Colorado.
Voting patterns be screwed, Utah is culturally more akin to Colorado simply because SLC metro is closer to Denver than Phoenix by a long shot.

Utah is just a religious version of Colorado.

A lot of Utah looks more like Arizona though, and there are more Mormons in Arizona, and neither Utah nor Arizona have plains covering almost half the state.

Perhaps, but nobody lives in those parts. The parts where people live in Utah and Colorado are more similar to each other than Arizona. I don’t really care about the topography of some ghost town in Kit Carson County and I don’t think anyone should. I wouldn’t even recognize it as part of Colorado.

[Schiff for Senate]

Surprised the result is such a deadlock. Even with politics aside, I'd say AZ is a clear answer. Both states are very much centralized around one Metro area (SLC and Phoenix respectively) and unlike CO, both have decent Native American populations + Mormon populations. They're also geographically more cohesive than CO and UT are.

[It’s so Joever]

Surprised the result is such a deadlock. Even with politics aside, I'd say AZ is a clear answer. Both states are very much centralized around one Metro area (SLC and Phoenix respectively) and unlike CO, both have decent Native American populations + Mormon populations. They're also geographically more cohesive than CO and UT are.

Have you been to all three of these states or even lived in one?
Your points aren’t off and normally would be enough to make the case, but there is a lot of a more daily cultural and even “vibes” (yes I use that term unironically) that make the comparison less strong.

For one, Colorado does have some Mormon presence although not as strong. Two, the native populations in both states are not at all very culturally impactful in the same way it would be in New Mexico, especially in the case of Utah where all the Natives live on the side of the stage nobody else lives in.
Whether Arizona truly is centered solely around Phoenix (Tucson is a strong mid sized city) aside, what matters just as much is how similar culturally those two cities are. If you talk to a Salt Lake City resident, ask about their daily life and what they do for fun, even look at the streets, I guarantee you it will be apparent that it’s not Phoenix. Even demographically, look at the sheer Mexican American influence in Phoenix as opposed to SLC and Denver (they exist in both cities but are nowhere near as salient)
I’m not sure what geographically more cohesive means? If you mean more interconnected, maybe but barely. Arizona already has a sister state, it’s Nevada. Colorado’s obnoxiously religious but still lovable sister is Utah (I don’t recognize Wyoming so don’t ask about them)

[Tekken_Guy]

Both states are very much centralized around one Metro area (SLC and Phoenix respectively)

And Colorado isn’t?

[Orser67]

Both states are very much centralized around one Metro area (SLC and Phoenix respectively)

Going by Metropolitan Statistical Area, this map shows that AZ and CO area actually both more centered on one metro area than UT is.

Though obviously the numbers look different from the map if you use CSAs instead of MSAs, and I'm actually kind of curious which of these two units people on this board prefer when talking about metro areas.

[Schiff for Senate]

Have you been to all three of these states or even lived in one?

Admittedly, no. I've driven through parts of UT and spent nearly a week in AZ, but that's pretty much it (never even been to CO).

For one, Colorado does have some Mormon presence although not as strong. Two, the native populations in both states are not at all very culturally impactful in the same way it would be in New Mexico, especially in the case of Utah where all the Natives live on the side of the stage nobody else lives in.
Whether Arizona truly is centered solely around Phoenix (Tucson is a strong mid sized city) aside, what matters just as much is how similar culturally those two cities are. If you talk to a Salt Lake City resident, ask about their daily life and what they do for fun, even look at the streets, I guarantee you it will be apparent that it’s not Phoenix. Even demographically, look at the sheer Mexican American influence in Phoenix as opposed to SLC and Denver (they exist in both cities but are nowhere near as salient)

Fair enough. I admittedly didn't really consider the effect of AZ having a significantly higher Hispanic population than UT/CO.

Colorado’s obnoxiously religious but still lovable sister is Utah (I don’t recognize Wyoming so don’t ask about them)

LMAO

[Tekken_Guy]

Both states are very much centralized around one Metro area (SLC and Phoenix respectively)

Going by Metropolitan Statistical Area, this map shows that AZ and CO area actually both more centered on one metro area than UT is.

Though obviously the numbers look different from the map if you use CSAs instead of MSAs, and I'm actually kind of curious which of these two units people on this board prefer when talking about metro areas.

Technically yes but most people generally put Provo and Ogden as part of the SLC metro.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Colorado